Homicide and Capital Punishment

Dr. Denise Paquette Boots

Summer 2010 Course Syllabus & Calendar
Course number: CRIM 3320 0IA/CRN 1493

Days & Times Summer A (May 24th-June 28th) Online course administered via eLearning
Students required to log in to class on eLearning b/w 6am May 24th – 6am May 26th

Note: Tutorial guide for new eLearning users included at back of syllabus or:
http://www.utdallas.edu/oee/distance/resources/handouts/webct_tutorials.
html

Professor Dr. Denise Paquette Boots, Associate Professor of Criminology

Faculty Webpage: http://www.utdallas.edu/~deniseboots/
Email Address deniseboots@utdallas.edu (see Email Use section below for more info)
Office Location Green Hall 2.204
Office Hours by appointment only for Summer 2010

Course Description/Goals
This course examines the policy and legal controversies surrounding the application of capital punishment (i.e., the
death penalty) as a punishment for criminal homicide. The goals of the course will be to review: 1) capital punishment
through history, 2) relevant U.S. Supreme Court decisions and contemporary problems with the application of the
death penalty and 3) analyze the nature, extent, and distribution of criminal homicide in Texas and the nation.

Required Textbooks and Materials

1) Textbook: DeathQuest III: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Capital Punishment in the United States by
Robert K. Bohm ISBN: 978-1-59345-315-2 LexisNexis/Anderson Publishing
2) Other required and assigned media and readings are listed on the attached course calendar provided at the end
of this syllabus. These supplements are posted in eLearning for each chapter and the Homicide Module—
students are required to download, view, and/or read these supplemental audio, video, and written materials.
All materials contained in the Power Points and posted in eLearning are testable material for this class in addition
to the text. All original materials created and posted online by the professor are the property of Dr. Boots and
may not be used outside this class without written permission of the instructor.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON TEXTBOOKS: If you opt to purchase your textbook online, make sure to order
only the 3rd edition and to get your book PRIOR to the class starting. If you have ANY doubt it will arrive in time, I
encourage you to purchase the text at Off Campus Books in Richardson (my preferred vendor). I will not make
extensions on graded assignments if you do not have your book in time and the class moves very fast as it is a summer
course. Please do not ask me to borrow my text if yours has not arrived or ask to borrow another student’s book via
our email or discussion boards. It is CRITICAL that you have your text and in hand no later than the end of the
first day of class on May 24th!!!

Course Policies & Requirements

FIRST DAY OF CLASS ASSIGNM ENT: All students are REQUIRED to log onto eLearning between
May 24th at 6am and May 26th at 6am and complete the 1st day assignments—students may receive up to 8
points on this first task. After May 26th at 6am, all students who have not completed the 1st day quiz will be
given a ZERO—no extensions. Students must log in to eLearning off the main page of the UTD website
(www.utdallas.edu) , click on our class, and complete the following:
1) RETRIEVE, DOWNLOAD & THOROUGHLY READ a copy of this syllabus (click on the
SYLLABUS tab off eLearning),
2) RETRIEVE, DOWNLOAD, AND REVIEW THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS POWERPOINT (go
under Learning Modules, 1st Day of Class folder)

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 1
 3) REVIEW ALL COURSE and ASSIGNMENT DEADLINES CAREFULLY in the course calendar
provided at the back of the syllabus, and
4) COMPLETE YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT—TAKE A QUIZ PRE-TEST OF YOUR DEATH
PENALTY KNOWLEDGE (go under Assessments, 1st Day Pretest DP Knowledge). YOU MAY
RETAKE THE QUIZ AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WISH UP TO THE DEADLINE OF MAY 26th
at 6am.
5) Whatever your LAST recorded score is on May 26th at 6am will be automatically recorded as your
points in the grade book, so please make sure that your last score is acceptable to you (a score of 8
points would be the highest possible point tally). You cannot contest this grade!
6) By completing the quiz assessment, STUDENTS are acknowledging that you have : 1) reviewed the
course deadlines, 2) read and understand the terms of the syllabus, including the policy on
plagiarism, and 3) acknowledged the deadlines set forth for the course and understand that no
extensions will be provided for late submissions for any assignments or exams.
7) IMPORTANT--Students who DO NOT log in and post on this first discussion board by 6am on
May 26th will get a zero for this assignment—this schedule allows students two FULL DAYS to
complete it—THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE MAY 26th DEADLINE!!!

An email will be sent to all enrolled students prior to class welcoming them to the class and letting everyone know
about the first assignment. This course is completed within a five-week time frame and will wrap up on June 28th;
please note that although it is abbreviated, the course load is required to be the same as that of a semester-long
course! Be prepared to do a significant amount of assignments and reading to complete the course successfully. This
is an advanced 4000-level course and will be reading intensive. With that being said, I have worked hard to make this
an enjoyable class for you. You will find many study tools and online study aids to facilitate your learning and no
group work will be required for the class. I will be online and responding to your posts frequently and available to you
via email if you have any questions as you get through the course material.

In addition to the textbook assigned readings, you will have additional readings, handouts, and/or media files that are
uploaded via the course modules for each chapters in your Learning Modules in eLearning. This material will be tested
on and it will be very important that you review the Power Points, other materials assigned in each module, and use
these materials to help you in your studying. You will have weekly discussion board postings and a quiz for each
chapter that are due as set in your course calendar. You will have one case brief due the week prior to your final exam.
You will have a midterm and final exam in this class and each will cover a significant amount of material. Study guides
for the midterm and final exam have also been created and are available to you on the Learning Modules to aid you
with your studying, as there are a good number of court cases and definitions from each text you will be responsible
for on your exams. You are strongly encouraged to utilize all these learning tools to facilitate your learning and help
you with your studying, as this is an accelerated class and you will have no time to get behind! It is critical that you
prepare well and do not procrastinate on your exam preparations or risk a poor grade at test time.

Detailed and comprehensive information on the course policies, deadlines, and virtual classroom are located here
within your syllabus. It is critical for each student to read this syllabus carefully and email me if they are not
clear on the grading and assignment requirements at the beginning of the class.

Please note: I will NOT make exceptions for grading or test deadlines if a student does not follow the
directions in the syllabus!!!! Please do not email me until AFTER you have consulted your syllabus for
information. Students with a verified disability through the University, who have a university-sponsored
event on test days, or who have a conflict due to religious holidays are strongly encouraged to contact the
instructor via email the FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES to make arrangements to accommodate these
issues. Keep in mind that the first exam will be held two weeks into the class on June 7th. Check the
course calendar for due dates carefully and consider whether you can make the due dates if you wish to
stay in the course. If I make an exception for one student, I must do it for all, and I simply will not
compromise the class in this manner. To be fair to all students, I will enforce these policies strictly.

eLearning Issues or Technical Problems

This course is offered completely through the internet using eLearning. Contact the UT Dallas ELearning
Helpdesk immediately at 866-588-3192 if you are having issues accessing the class. If students do not follow
these directions and subsequently have issues meeting deadlines, the instructor will not delay grade deadlines. Student
MUST have reliable access to a computer with an internet connection such as a cable modem, DSL, or a T-1
Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 2
connection, whether that be at home, at school, or another location of their choice. The UTD 24/7 eLearning
Helpdesk may be reached at phone 972-588-3192 or access a live chat session for help at:
http://www.utdallas.edu/oee/distance/eLearningHelpdesk.html. Please DO NOT email the professor for
technical support- you must contact the UT Dallas Helpdesk to resolve any user problems you have.

The professor is able to verify and track ALL log in activity on eLearning and will first verify all logon information if a
student claims to have technical issues beyond their control. If students contact the Help Desk and still are unable to
get into the class site, please email Dr. Boots directly from your email account at: deniseboots@utdallas.edu and copy
me in on all original trouble tickets and correspondence that you have had with the Help Desk. If you do not have a
fast and/or reliable internet connection at your home, you MUST to do your class work at an alternate location such as
at UTD in the library or computer labs. This rule especially applies for your EXAMS, as once you log in to the exam
you will not be allowed to retake it if your internet connection is lost. Please do not risk it!!!

V irtual Classroom Access/Citizenship/Participation and Discussion Boards

The key to doing well in any online course is having the self-discipline to complete your reading,
assignments, learning aids, and lectures on time. Procrastination will only cause you problems with your grades in
this class and all deadlines will be fairly and uniformly enforced. I strongly encourage you to treat this just like any
other live class—set aside a dedicated time that you do your coursework, review this syllabus regularly to ensure that
you are on task, and meet your deadlines early for all assignments. DO NOT wait until the last minute to try to get
your assignments and tests submitted—any loss of internet connection or miscalculation on your part that leads to
failure to hit your deadlines WILL result in a zero for that particular grade. As this class is exclusively taught online,
your participation in this class will come in different forms as you navigate the discussion boards, assignments, and
other course content in this class.

While online classes give you great flexibility in taking classes that will conform to your schedules and lifestyles, do not
assume that “online” equates to an “easy” class. For you to succeed in this class, you will need to be an active
and intellectually engaged participant. While I encourage, if not demand, critical thinking and high-level debate in
my classrooms, I also demand mutual respect for all persons who enter into them. I will enforce these rules strictly and
will modify or remove any inappropriate postings. Please use decent language, write in complete sentences, and
use proper grammar and punctuation for your posts and assignments. Text messaging language is
absolutely NOT appropriate anywhere in our virtual classroom, including in emails addressed to me, so
please act and speak as you would in a live class knowing that I will be monitoring class correspondence and
grading you accordingly. Do not abbreviate or use profanity, slang, or incomplete sentences in any of your
postings or emails with the instructor or on any assignments for the class. Do not use personal attacks,
inflammatory, racist, or sexist language on our class boards. Any student who abuses these privileges will
have their final grade penalized accordingly and at my discretion. Please do not use the discussion boards or
email system in this class for anything not related to the course.

Email Use
This class is an online course, so email correspondence is vital to its success and to ensure good communication.
Please address me as Dr. Boots in all correspondence (and I do apologize to those of you to whom this is
common sense, but this has become enough of an issue that I feel I must now put this in my syllabi for
online classes to avoid awkward situations later on). While you may email me via the course in eLearning, I
PREFER THAT YOU EMAIL ME DIRECTLY from your email account at: deniseboots@utdallas.edu so
that I don’t have to log in to eLearning to check and respond to your emails.

IMPORTANT: Please include your full student name and the class name in the SUBJECT LINE so I can
identify quickly that the message is from a student from this class. I get a large number of emails each day and
this will allow me to get to you faster. I will promptly respond to all emails within 48 hours (but usually much
quicker unless I am out of the office). While I will make every effort to respond to your emails promptly,
please plan your work accordingly to allow for up to a 48-hour response time. There will be one week in
particular during this class that I will be traveling, and it could mean that you will not hear back from me for
over a day or more because I do not have email available to me for an extended period of time. Do not wait
until the last minute on deadlines for responses.

It goes without saying that for an online class it is imperative that all students keep their UTD email boxes
functioning and ensure that their boxes are not full. I will send important updates to students often via email
Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 3
since this is my only way to communicate with the class. If you do not receive an email update because your
email box is full, you will be held to any updates to the course calendar and changes in deadlines that might
occur. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO CHECK THEIR EMAIL BOXES ONCE DAILY
FOR MESSAGES SINCE THIS IS AN ACCELERATED COURSE AND YOU WILL HAVE SHORT
TURNAROUND TIMES ON DEADLINES.

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and
students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of
each individual in an email exchange. The university states that all official student email correspondence be sent only
to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it
originates from a UTD student account. As such, I will NOT respond to emails from anything other than a UTD
email account for YOUR protection. This policy allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in
the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of
Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other
accounts.

Course Assignments and Deadlines

The course is paced along with the term and allows students to work independently. This accelerated course is split
into two sections (Intro to Midterm; Midterm to Final), with coursework made available to students in advance-- you
are free to work ahead on any released chapters and assignments as you wish. The first section and all 5 chapters’
discussion posts and quizzes are available as of the first day of class on May 24th. The second section and the last 5
chapters’ plus the case brief and homicide components assignments will be released to you immediately after your
midterm on June 7th. Again, there will be NO EXCEPTIONS made if a student fails to meet the date and
time deadline set forth on your course calendar, regardless of the excuse given. Potential excuses include, but
are not limited to: eLearning being down, illnesses, forgetfulness, falling behind, work, family, friends, housing, sports,
scheduling, relationships, and/or computer or internet access problems. Please note that being sick is NOT a valid
excuse, even with a doctor’s note. In other words, please do not try to use your issues as an excuse for not getting
your assignments submitted by their due dates. I will hold to this policy as written here to ensure that EVERY
student is treated equally and fairly.

Also be aware that I am able to track in detail your access to all areas of the eLearning system by time and date for
every student as well as the length of time each of you were logged. Please do not make statements which are patently
dishonest about dates and times you were in the system or problems that actually did not occur to try to make a case
for late submissions—this will be considered as an act of academic dishonesty and cheating.
The ONLY clock that counts in the course is the one within eLearning, so match your clocks appropriately. PLEASE
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL CLOSE TO THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR ASSIGNMENTS, TAKE
QUIZZES, SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS, OR TO BEGIN YOUR EXAMS.

In addition to the discussion posts and quizzes for each chapter, each student is required to submit one case
law brief that is due no later than June 21st by 6am in eLearning. Detailed instructions for the case brief are
included below. This assignment MUST be submitted through the home page on eLearning and NOT sent
via email to me. I will not accept case briefs sent directly to me and you will receive a zero for the
assignment.

DISCUSSION POST and QUIZ ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS (4 points per post/3 points per chapter
quiz for all 10 chapters of the Bohm textbook):
For each of the 10 chapters you will have a discussion posting due as illustrated below. Please read this section
COMPLETELY and then follow this same template for EACH chapter. If you do not follow the directions you will
get a zero for your discussion board posting—I do not give partial credit. The deadlines for all chapters are included in
this syllabus under the COURSE CALENDAR section that follows:

1. Read Chapter 1 in your textbook and review all the materials for each chapter starting with the
POWERPOINTS for this chapter on your eLearning course home page. Next, click on the COURSE
CONTENT icon or the LEARNING MODULES link on your main menu (left side of home page), click
on Chapter 1, and use the Power Points, study guides, and other learning tools to ensure that you have
comprehended this material to practice your reading and key term comprehension.
Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 4
 2. Secondly, click on the DISCUSSION S icon on the far right side of your menu in eLearning and
post your response to the discussion question I have posted for Chapter 1 regarding the content from
that chapter. Each discussion board post is worth 4 points per chapter. Directions: You are required to
submit a MINIMUM of TWO CONSECUTIVE PARAGRAPHS (with at LEAST four complete
sentences per paragraph) and one space separating the paragraphs so they are distinguished from
one another. Both paragraphs must be submitted in ONE posting (not in multiple posts). Each
post must be written with proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar to get credit. I would
recommend you write your post first in a Word document, check it for accuracy, and then transfer it in
into eLearning when you are satisfied and ready to post. The requirements translate to roughly 2/3 of a
page single spaced if typed in a Word document; however, you are welcome to write more if you wish!
Always double check that the format and content of your postings is correct after you post them.
If something occurred during the posting that renders them non-compliant with these instructions you
will be given a zero for that assignment unless you correct the problem—sometimes this will mean having
to repost your response!! Answers that are unclear, illogical, or that show little substantive effort will be
assigned a ZERO with NO PARTIAL CREDIT.

3. I will not try to figure out how much time you put into the posts or how much your effort was worth out
of 4 possible points—this is not a hard assignment. Either you do a conscientious job, write a meaningful
and error-free post and get full credit, or you do a substandard job, do not follow directions, submit at the
last possible moment, and risk getting a zero. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY.
Feel free to supplement your responses with outside information properly cited from news sources,
reliable websites, outside readings, current events, etc. (Properly cited= name of source, author, date,
name of article/story, publisher). Your responses should represent YOUR thoughts, beliefs, and ideas, not
someone else’s! Usually these discussion posts are opinion pieces, so there is no reason for a student to
feel compelled to borrow from another source. You should all have an opinion on these topics I would
hope. However, if you use outside sources, you must cite all used to supplement your answers. With that
said, while outside sources are welcomed as they help make your response more informed, THE VAST
MAJORITY OF YOUR RESPONSE MUST BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS; USE OUTSIDE
SOURCES SPARINGLY OR RISK NO CREDIT ON YOUR ASSIGNMENT. This item will be
posted in your gradebook. Students who do not complete the assignment or follow the directions
and post their two paragraphs TOGETHER will receive a zero. Please follow these directions!!
• PLEASE HEED THIS WARNING: DO NOT COPY ANY OTHER SOURCE VERBATIM!!!
Copying an outside source is considered plagiarism and academic dishonesty (see plagiarism
handout posted on your main page of the course if you have further questions about what
constitutes a plagiarism offense). Any student who commits academic dishonesty in this class will
be referred to Judicial Affairs for disciplinary action. Moreover, it is considered academic dishonesty
for ANYONE other than the registered student in the course to submit class assignments, quizzes, or
tests, or to pose as someone else online. I take these issues VERY seriously, so please do your OWN
work.

4. I will be monitoring the assignment responses, responding on the discussion board frequently to your
postings, and will be available via email for you to contact me when you have any questions or concerns.
You are encouraged and able to post responses to each other’s replies and to me. I ask that you please
observe our virtual classroom etiquette rules (complete sentences, proper punctuation and grammar, no
inappropriate language) while on any area of our class eLearning site. Personal emails to each other do not
count as valid responses and have no place anywhere on our classroom boards.

5. All assignments are due according to the due dates in your COURSE CALENDAR in this syllabus. Once
the due date and time has been reached within eLearning, assignments and other chapter materials will no
longer be available for viewing or submission. You may submit all assignments and quizzes earlier than
the due date for chapters once they are released to you in eLearning, however. All assignments will be
graded by me in a timely manner and then posted on your gradebook—it is your responsibility to check
your gradebook promptly once these scores are posted and make sure that your scores are accurate. I will
make a eLearning email announcement to the class when assignments have been graded and posted to
notify you that these scores are available for viewing. Please check your email several times per week on

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 5
 our class eLearning site to ensure that you are aware of updates and communicate issues to me
immediately if there are issues with your grades please.

6. For each chapter assigned in your syllabus EXCEPT THE HOMICIDE MODULE (see number 7), you
will do exactly the same as the above example for the QUIZ and the discussion posting for Chapter 1.
Chapters and Assignments 1-5 will be available to you on the first day of class; on the same day of the
midterm, Chapters and Assignments 6-10 will be released. Please note that all quizzes and discussion
board postings are due at 6am on due dates. You are responsible to follow the course calendar and
know the appropriate due dates and times for all assignments!! Note that these quizzes and assignments
make up a sizeable percentage of your grade and you have every opportunity to get ALL these points.
Students who are conscientious and who post their assignments early see a substantial rise in their final
grades by earning all of the available points on these assignments!
7. For only the Homicide Component, your Discussion Board Post will be double in length of the Chapters 1
through 10—this means that you MUST DO A TOTAL OF FOUR PARAGRAPHS FOR THE
ASSIGNMENT and follow all other formatting directions as usual please. It will be worth a total of 7
points and you are not required to take a quiz for this module. Instead, I would like you to demonstrate
and utilize your substantial knowledge on homicide and the death penalty and serve as a juror on a real
death penalty murder trial case. You will determine guilt or innocence and make a recommendation of
death or life in prison if you find the accused guilty of the crime. You will have extensive evidence at your
disposal, including court transcripts of opening statements, testimony from experts, autopsy photographs,
evidence from the suspect’s cells, trial testimony, and photographs from the scene. I will serve as the
judge on this case and you will be given explicit directions in eLearning on how to complete this
assignment. All materials for this last discussion board posting will be released with the rest of the
homicide module on June 7th. This will be your final discussion board post of the semester.

CASE BRIEF ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS and EXAMPLE (75 points total):

Students will brief EITHER Roper v. Simmons (2005) OR Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008). ALL case brief assignments in this
class will be submitted and examined through the integrated plagiarism detection tool called Turnitin. You will access
the Turnitin case brief assignment submission icon on the class eLearning HOME PAGE and click the icon to open it.
All case briefs MUST be submitted via this link on your home page of our eLearning class site—DO NOT
SEND YOUR CASE BRIEF DIRECTLY TO ME OR YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO ON THIS
ASSIGNMENT! YOU MAY SUBMIT YOUR ASSIGNMENT AT ANY TIME UP TO THE DUE DATE
OF JUNE 21ST AT 6AM, BUT GRADES WILL NOT BE POSTED UNTIL SOMETIME AFTER THE
DEADLINE.

You can click the assignment title to view the assignment information. This is a TWO-STEP PROCESS! Please
submit all papers in a Word document (.doc or .docx) format (see formatting instructions below).

First, to SUBMIT your WORD file, please click the submit icon off the main eLearning link and on the next page
1) select the option of “SINGLE file upload” (DO NOT CHOOSE “cut and paste”),
2) enter the submission title (please enter a title of your LAST NAME, FIRST NAME then name of case-- such
as: BOOTS, DENISE Roper case brief),
3) click Browse to locate your file and click Submit button.

Second, you will then PREVIEW and confirm your submission by hitting the SUBMIT button. If there is a problem
with your submission, you may return to the first screen by clicking on the return to upload page and starting back at
Step 1.

Once you have completed Step 2 and submitted you will see a yellow box at the top of the screen stating that you have
successfully submitted your assignment and you will be provided with a Turnitin Digital Receipt. PRINT A COPY
OF THIS SCREEN WITH THE DIGITAL RECEIPT FOR YOUR RECORDS IN THE EVENT THERE
IS AN ISSUE AND I DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR ASSIGNMENT BY THE DUE DATE—THIS WILL BE
YOUR ONLY PROOF OF SUBMISSION AND I WILL REQUIRE YOU TO SEND THIS TO ME
ELECTRONICALLY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR RESUBMISSION!!! Once you may not submit again and this is
your final assignment submission.
Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 6
 A NOTE ABOUT CHEATING: You may NOT copy another student’s case brief, copy a brief off the
internet, copy a brief from another academic source, have another student do your brief for you, or use any
other source to complete your case brief. The work you submit to me must be YOUR own work created for
only THIS class and in your own words. You have no need to use outside sources in this assignment and
should not consult with any outside sources. Any student suspected of submitting plagiarized work will be
immediately referred to Judicial Affairs for appropriate disciplinary action. I will get a report from Turnitin on
each paper submitted for this assignment automatically. I take cheating very seriously and will refer all cases to
Judicial Affairs without question. Do not risk it and try to cheat on this assignment—please just do your own
work!!!

Which cases are acceptable to use for the case brief assignment?
You will only choose ONE of the two assigned cases offered by the instructor to brief. For Summer 2010,
these cases will be Roper v. Simmons (2005) OR Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008). You may not brief any other case and
you must use the version provided by the instructor for your case brief assignment.

Where do I find cases?

A PDF of the Court’s entire decision can be found on our eLearning HOME PAGE, with each case in its own
respective folder.

What is a case brief?

A case brief is a quick summary of a court case that gives a synopsis of the key aspects of the case. There is an
example of a case brief provided below for students to model.

How do I brief a case?

Your case brief will contain the following sections (for a total of 75 points):
1) Capsule Summary (5 points)
2) Facts (25 points)
3) Issue (5 points)
4) Decision (5 points)
5) Reason (10 points)
6) Significance (25 points)

What is a capsule summary?

A one-sentence summary of the case, stated without reference to the parties of the case. In other words, this
is the Supreme Court’s message to the criminal justice community. No quotes.

What are the facts?

A brief description of what happened. Don’t worry about tracing the progression of the case through
appellate courts. No quotes (beyond key phrases or legal terms coined).

What is the issue?

A one- (or possibly two-) sentence question that represents the central issue before the Supreme Court. In
every case, the Court is answering one (but quite rarely, more than one) major question. No quotes.

What is the decision?

There are two abbreviated parts to this section. First, there should be a “Yes” or “No” that answers the issue
question. Next, include a short quote from the case that captures the decision—PUT THIS IN
QUOTATION MARKS.

What is the reason?

The logic of the Court offered for its decision. Use a QUOTE from the case and PUT IT IN QUOTATION
MARKS.

What is the significance?

Why does this case matter? What are the long-term implications of the decision? Your answers to these
questions represent the case’s significance. No quotes (beyond key phrases or legal terms coined).
Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 7
What is the appropriate paper format for my submission in eLearning?
See example provided below and follow this formatting exactly. Your paper should be written in a Word
document with a) Times New Roman 12-point font, b) single-spaced type, c) inserted with one blank line
between sections, and d) must not to exceed one side of one page. You will automatically lose 20 points if
these requirements are not met. IMPORTANT: Proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation are REQUIRED
in your responses. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors will be penalized at 1 point for the 1st error, 2
points for the 2nd, 3 points for the third, and so forth on progressively. Cases should be italicized when
referred to in the text. SPELL and GRAMMAR-check your papers before submission—you cannot resubmit
once they are finalized in eLearning! Moreover, responses that are unclear, illogical or show little substantive effort
will be assigned a ZERO with no partial credit on that segment of the assignment (see point breakdown given
above). Papers will not be accepted beyond the deadline and all students will be assigned a zero that do not
have assignments posted by that time - NO EXCEPTIONS will be granted for ANY REASON. If you
anticipate any reason for being delayed, submit your work early and do not wait until the deadline for
submission. If you have questions about the assignment after reading the example provided and information
given here, please contact me via email in advance and I will answer general questions, but I will not review
rough drafts or give you the answers to the assignment.

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 8
 CASE BRIEF EXAMPLE:

Denise Paquette Boots CRIM 3320 Homicide & Capital Punishment

Illinois v. Lidster 540 U.S. 419 (2004)

Capsule Summary: A highway checkpoint for the purpose of obtaining information about a vehicle
accident conforms to Fourth Amendment requirements.

Facts: One week after a hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death a bicyclist, Illinois highway patrol
officers set up a checkpoint at approximately the same location and time of night as the accident. Their
purpose was to obtain information from drivers passing through the area about the hit-and-run incident.
Each passing vehicle was stopped for 10 to 15 seconds and occupants were asked whether they had seen
anything happen at that location the previous week. One driver who approached the checkpoint swerved
and nearly hit an officer. The officer smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath and directed him to a side
street where another officer administered a field sobriety test. The driver was convicted of driving under
the influence. The Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District, reversed the driver’s conviction, claiming
that the Supreme Court’s decision in City of Indianapolis v. Edmond (531 U.S. 32, 2000) rendered the
checkpoint unconstitutional because its primary purpose of the “hit-and-run checkpoint” was to discover
and interdict illegal narcotics without any particularized suspicion.

Issue: Does a highway checkpoint conducted for the purpose of obtaining information about a vehicle
accident conform to the Fourth Amendment?

Decision: YES. “Edmond does not govern the outcome of this case.”

Reason: “In Edmond, this Court held that, absent special circumstances, the Fourth Amendment forbids
police to make stops without individualized suspicion at a checkpoint set up primarily for general ‘crime
control’ purposes...Here, the stop’s primary law enforcement purpose was not to determine whether a
vehicle’s occupants were committing a crime, but to ask the occupants, as members of the public, for
help in providing information about a crime in all likelihood committed by others.”

Significance: In Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz (496 U.S. 444, 1990), the Supreme Court upheld
warrantless, suspicionless checkpoints designed to detect evidence of drunk driving. In that case, police
checkpoints were set up at which all drivers were stopped and briefly (approximately 25 seconds)
observed for signs of intoxication. If such signs were found, the driver would be detained for sobriety
testing and, if the indication was that the driver was intoxicated, an arrest would be made. But since
Lidster did not challenge his conviction by invoking Sitz, he was forced to turn to other checkpoint cases,
and the pickings are quite slim, so it is no surprise that the Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s
decision.

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 9
Examinations
This class will have a CLOSED BOOK/NOTE midterm and final that will be administered via the Assessments link
on eLearning. Each exam will become available on test days at 6am and must be completed and submitted
within eLearning no later than 10pm! You will have 70 minutes from the time you log in to take the test to submit
your answers. You MUST log in prior to 9pm to take the exam or you will not have 70 minutes to take the test—the
assessment will automatically become unavailable at 10pm promptly. There will be 75 multiple-choice questions on
each exam and each question is worth 2 points for a total of 150 points per test. You will be able to revisit questions if
you want to skip them and come back.

You should read the section below on “How to take assessments” PRIOR to taking the test!! PLEASE
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW AND MAKE PLANS TO TAKE THESE TESTS DURING THE
ALLOCATED TIMES AND DATES—I CANNOT NOT extend the test deadline individually or allow
students to take exams early via eLearning.

Remember that although you are completing exams electronically, these tests are NOT designed to be open note or
open book, thus you are expected to have full knowledge of the material as if you were sitting for a live exam. If you
attempt to use your notes, you most certainly will not get through the test on time. You will answer one question at a
time but can return to a question if you need to before finalizing your exam (see the detailed directions below and at
the end of your syllabus). Once you finalize the test and submit your responses, your assessment will be forwarded in
eLearning for grading. All grades will be posted by the day after your exams (June 8thth and June 29th, respectively).
There will be a timer in place via eLearning and you will have less than a minute per question to answer. The CLOCK
AND TIMER on the eLearning system is the only one that counts, not yours. Exams will account for over 65% of
your final grade in this class.

Your midterm will cover DeathQuest Chapters 1-5 only. Your final exam will NOT be cumulative—it will
only include DeathQuest Chapters 6-10 and the Homicide component. The learning modules and all
supplements for the final will be released on June 7th at 6am to the class, which is the same day as your
midterm.

You should immediately download the Midterm and Final Study Guides that have been created by the instructor to
help you in this course and use this as a guide from day one of the course. Both the midterm and final exams will
include materials covered from your textbook, Power Points, your online study aids, and all supplemental audio,
written, and visual materials provided in your Learning Modules. People, places, things, significant court cases, and
highlighted words or sections in your text are the areas of interest you should focus on in your studying. I have created
very detailed Power Points for every chapter of your text to help you with the materials since I will not be able to
lecture you on these materials. Make sure that you pull out key points from all assigned supplements for each chapter,
as a good number of questions on each exam will be devoted to these assigned materials as well. You should know the
important court cases and historical figures that have influenced criminological theory and the criminal justice system
in each chapter when relevant. Know your key terms and definitions and use your online study tools to review these
materials! Recall that your quizzes will NOT be available to you for review past the due date- these are brief but are a
good study aid to start with.

PLEASE N OTE: I will not offer further study guides or reviews, provide page numbers or further information
for the assigned court cases, or any lists of key terms beyond the study guides and aids provided in eLearning—
each chapter and the study aids provided online offers you a comprehensive review of the materials presented. A
large percentage of your grade in this course is largely based on your performance on timed, objective assessments. If
you do not do well on these types of exams, it is suggested that you choose another type of course. No alternative
assignments or bonus points will be made available for those students that do not perform well on these types of
assessments (e.g., extra papers, etc.) and NO EXTRA CREDIT IS AVAILABLE IN THIS CLASS.

PLEASE DO NOT ASK THE INSTRUCTOR AT ANY POINT IN THE CLASS IF YOU CAN DO
EXTRA CREDIT!!! I DO NOT DO THIS IN ANY OF MY CLASSES.

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 10
 HOW TO TAKE EXAMS VIA THE ASSESSMENT LINK IN eLEARNING:

The Assessments tool allows you to access any tests, quizzes, or surveys your professor has added to the course. Your
professor determines the availability of each test, quiz, or survey as well as how long you have to complete it. For our
class, your test days will be on Friday June 7th (MIDTERM) and Friday June 28th (FINAL) between 6am and
10pm ONLY. IMPORTANT TEST INFORMATION: PLEASE NOTE THAT ONCE YOU HAVE
CLICKED “BEGIN ASSESSM ENT,” YOUR TIM E W ILL BEGIN ON THE EXAM . IF YOU
ARE DISCONNECTED FOR ANY REASON OR FORGET TO CLICK “SAV E” OR “FINISH”
AND LOG OUT OF THE EXAM , YOU W ILL RECEIV E A ZERO ON THE TEST. M ake sure
you have saved AND clicked finish on your test BEFORE you log out!!!!

1. Click on Assessments on the far left menu bar.

2. Click on the assessment you want to take.
3. Click the Begin Assessment button.
4. Enter your answer for each question.
5. Once you click on your answer, hit the Save and View Next button.
6. If you want to skip the question and come back to it later, click the Next Question button. You must click
Save and View Next each time to record your answer!
7. Repeat for each question.
8. On the right side of your screen you will see a Question Status box with all 75 questions listed. Those
questions that you have answered will have a checkmark next to the number. Those questions that have not
been answered will have a blank circle next to them—simply click on the number in this section to return to it.
You may revisit any question by clicking on that number prior to finalizing your exam. Please make sure that
you have answered ALL the questions before finalizing your exam or they will be scored as a zero for any item
without an answer submitted!!
9. IMPORTANT!!! When you have answered all questions and SAVED your answers, click the
Finish button. If you do not click the Finish button, your test will not be submitted for grading.
10 . You should see a yellow box with the following message “You have successfully submitted your Quiz,” after
you click the Finish button. All grades on exams will be posted to the gradebook as soon as all exams are
submitted and verified in eLearning.
11. A NOTE ON EXAM GRADES POSTED IN THE GRADEBOOK: The number posted in your
gradebook is your score out of a possible 150 points on each exam-- NOT A PERCENTAGE. To
calculate your percentage, take your score and multiply by 100; then divide that total by 150 points to get your
corresponding grade percentage. Look at the grade policy below to determine the matching letter grade for
that percentage.

TECHNICAL/RESET ISSUES DURING EXAMS:

Please recall that when taking your tests, you should make sure you do NOT use a dial-up connection as the test will
not be reset for you and you will be thrown out of eLearning. Failure to use a computer with a high speed connection
is NOT an excuse for failure to complete an exam on time and I will not reset it for you to retake if you are
disconnected for this reason (see page 4 list of excuses).

V ERY IM PORTAN T: Make-up exams will absolutely NOT be considered unless there is documented
proof of an extreme emergency (e.g., death of immediate relative or student hospitalization) and I am
contacted BEFORE THE EXAM GOES LIVE AT 6am ON TEST DAY IN eLEARNING VIA
EMAIL. Documentation will be required! Your doctor saying you are sick or you feeling sick IS NOT A
VALID EXCUSE FOR A MAKEUP EXAM. The instructor reserves the right for any makeup examination
to be full essay. All make-up exams will be administered in person at my office in Green Hall 2.204 on a date of my
choosing. MAKEUP EXAMS WILL NOT BE TAKEN ONLINE!!!

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 11
 Grading Policy and Final Grade Scale

Pre-test of Death Penalty Facts/1st day assignment: 8 points

Discussion Board Posts 1-10 (4 points per chapter): 40 points (appx. 9% of your grade)
Quizzes 1-10 (3 points per chapter quiz): 30 points (appx. 7% of your grade)
Discussion Post to Murder Case for Homicide Module 7 points
Supreme Court Case Brief: 75 points (appx. 15% of your grade)
EXAM 1- Midterm (75 questions @2 points each): 150 POINTS (appx. 33% of your grade)
EXAM 2- Final (75 questions @2 points each): 150 POINTS (appx. 33% of your grade)
TOTAL 460 POINTS POSSIBLE IN CLASS

GRADING SCALE: Take your FINAL POINT TOTAL for all items from eLearning to determine the
corresponding grade as follows:

Percent Grade Point Range Totals

100% A+ 460
93-99% A 428-459.5
90-92% A- 414-427.5
87-89% B+ 400.5-413.5
83-86% B 382-400
80-82% B- 368-381.5
77-79% C+ 354.5-367.5
73-76% C 336-355
70-72% C- 322-335.5
67-69% D+ 308.5-321.5
63-66% D 290-308
60-62% D- 276-289.5
59% and less F 275.5 and below

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and
efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be
knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on
student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered
students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established
due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas
System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook
of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972-
883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected
to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules.
Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off
campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an
academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative
that a student demonstrates a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 12
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment
or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general
rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic
records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings and will be referred for any
and all academic proceedings via the Dean of Students Office. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN WORK! For online
classes, letting another person complete your work or take an exam for you or representing them as you is
considered cheating. Only the student registered for the class may participate in class work or assignments.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with to the fullest extent possible under the university’s policy on plagiarism
(see general catalog for details and the plagiarism handout posted to the main course page for this class on
eLearning for more information). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for
possible plagiarism and is very effective.

Withdrawals from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These dates and
times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's
responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you
choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the university’s
Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic
responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor,
supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be
resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s
School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student may
submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student
may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and
convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties. Copies of these rules and regulations are available
to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting
the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and
only if 70% of the course work has been COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY. You must get the permission of the
instructor and make arrangements for incomplete work prior to this grade being assigned. An incomplete grade must
be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to
complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete
grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of their
non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and
Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 13
 Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate
discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against
tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing
impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The
college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance. It is
the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability Services
provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs
accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor during the first
week of classes via email so that any special accommodations may be made for the semester.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and
observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section
11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding a religious absence
and in advance of the assignment. All religious holidays that will be observed should be submitted in writing to
the instructor via email during the first week of classes so that alternative plans can be made regarding
conflicts with due dates. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment
within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week.
A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the
absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing
grade for that exam or assignment. If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the
purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given
a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request
a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or
designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the
decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

Off-Campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University policies and
procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found
at the website address given below. Additional information is available from the office of the school dean.
(http://www.utdallas.edu/Business Affairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm). There will be no live off-campus meetings or
instruction in this course.

Student Guide to W ebCT~ Summer 2010

Borrowed From eLearning website:

http://www.utdallas.edu/oee/distance/resources/handouts/documents/Student%20Guide%20to%20WebCT.htm

This guide will help you with the basics of logging in, getting help, moving around in your courses, and using some
basic tools like email and discussions. It also includes information on configuring your computer to work with
eLearning.

Making Your Computer Work with eLearning

There are a few things you will need to configure to make your computer work efficiently with eLearning.

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 14
1. Disable any pop up blockers for http://elearning.utdallas.edu.
2. If you are using Internet Explorer, add http://webct6.utdallas.edu to your trusted sites list.
3. Make sure you have ONE, AND ONLY ONE Java Runtime Environment installed, and that it passes the browser
check eLearning runs when you log in.

How to Log In to eLearning

You may access eLearning courses via the following URL: http://elearning.utdallas.edu/

User ID/Password
You will use your normal NetID and password. Remember, you must change your password at least once a year.
Make sure that your password is not expired. If it is, you will not be able to log into eLearning. You can change your
password at http://netid.utdallas.edu/. The Helpdesk can help you if you have difficulties resetting your password.

How to Get Help

If you need help with eLearning, contact the UTD’s 24/7 eLearning Helpdesk. Their contact information is below. If
they are unable to resolve the issue, they will log a ticket and one of the expert support team will contact you.
UTD Helpdesk Contact Info
· UTD 24/7 eLearning Helpdesk: Phone: 972-588-3192
· Live Chat: http://www.utdallas.edu/oee/distance/eLearningHelpdesk.html.
· eLearning Email: mailto:elearning@utdallas.edu
· Office of Educational Enhancement Homepage: http://oee.utdallas.edu

Accessing Course Materials

When you log into eLearning, you may see your courses listed on you My Courses list. (If you do not see a class listed,
check with your instructor to see if eLearning is being used for that class.) Your professor may have arranged your
course a little differently than you have seen before, so you need to give yourself some time to explore your courses at
the beginning of the semester.

Navigating in Courses
Click on the course you want to access. When the course opens, you will probably see icons on the right side of the
page and a course menu on the left side of the page.

Click on the item you want to open. Course tools such as the Discussion and Syllabus tools are on the course menu.
You can access them from anywhere in the course by clicking on them on the course menu.

Accessing Learning Modules

Most of your course materials are organized into Learning Modules. You can access all Learning Modules in the
course from the Learning Modules tool on the Course Tools menu on the left side of the screen.
1. Click on the Learning Modules tool on the Course Tools menu.
2. Click on the Learning Module you want to access from the list of Learning Modules on the right side of the
screen.
3. Click on the course materials you want to access. They will appear either in a table of contents on the left
side of the screen or as links on the right side of the screen.

Course Tools
You may see different tools enabled in different classes. Your professor chooses which tools to enable or disable in
the class. If you do not see a tool in a particular class, it usually means that a teacher has disabled that portion of the
course.

Using the Discussion tool

You can read and post to any discussion threads. However, you will not be able to add or remove threads.
To Read a Post
1. Click on Discussions.
2. Click on the green triangle next to the thread you want to read. This will expand the thread.
3. Click on the message you want to read.

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 15
To Compose a Post
1. Click on Discussions.
2. Click on the Compose Message button at the top of the screen.
3. Click on the down arrow next to the Topic.
4. Choose the thread you wish to post to from the drop down list.
5. Type a subject for your message.
6. Type your message.
7. Click the Post button at the bottom of the screen.

Using the Email tool

The Email tool in WebCT is separate from UTD email. It only sends email to other members of the class within
WebCT. The Email tool in WebCT is disabled in all classes until your professor chooses to enable it. If you do not
see the Mail tool listed under the Course Tools menu on the left side of the screen, your professor has not enabled it.
To Read a Mail Message
1. Click on Mail.
2. Click on Inbox.
3. Click on the message you want to read.

To Send a Mail Message

1. Click on Mail.
2. Click the Compose Message button.
3. Click on the Browse… button next to the Send To line.
4. Select who you want to send the message to from the list.
5. Type a subject for your message.
6. Type your message.
7. Click the Send button at the bottom of the screen.

Using the Assessments tool

The Assessments tool allows you to access any tests, quizzes, or surveys your professor has added to the course. Your
professor determines the availability of each test, quiz, or survey as well as how long you have to complete it. Available
assessments will show as blue links. Assessments that are not available will show as regular black text.
1. Click on Assessments.
2. Click on the assessment you want to take.
3. Click the Begin Assessment button.
4. Enter your answer for the question.
5. Click the Save and View Next button.
6. Repeat for each question.
7. IMPORTANT!!! When you have answered all questions and saved your answers, click the
Finish button. If you do not click the Finish button, your test will not be submitted for grading.
8. You should see a yellow box with the following message “You have successfully submitted your Quiz,” after
you click the Finish button.

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 16
 Course Calendar & Assignment Due Dates for Summer 2010
Dr. Boots --CRIM 3320 Homicide & Capital Punishment
PLEASE N OTE: These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor. If
any changes are made students will be notified via Announcements/email in eLearning. STUDEN TS ARE
REQUIRED TO CHECK THEIR UTD EMAIL REGULARLY IN THIS COURSE FOR
UPDATES.
Power Points, the Homicide death case, and any other original works created and posted by the instructor may
not be used or reprinted outside this class without expressed and written permission of Dr. Boots.

NOTE: Supplemental Media is located on your Power Points located on eLearning on the Learning M odules
under each respective chapter and module. You will need W indows M edia Player and/or Real Player to review
these materials. Most supplements are PDF and can be read in Adobe Reader. All of these programs are
available for free download off the internet.
Supplemental Readings are downloaded under each module via the Learning M odules if they are not contained
within the chapter Power Point— see notes below. All Power

ALL SUPPLEM ENTS LISTED HERE ARE REQUIRED READING/VIEW ING FOR THE
COURSE AND ARE TESTABLE MATERIAL UNLESS OTHERW ISE NOTED!!!!

DATE
May24-26th Log in for online class—students required to sign on to class via eLearning starting at 6am on May
24th and ending at 6am May 26th -- review Dr. Boots’ Introduction PPT, read ENTIRE syllabus,
take 1st day quiz off assessments area of eLearning
Note that first assignments on DeathQuest Ch. 1-2 are due ONE week from May 24th on May 31st!!

May 31st Readings/Study Aids should be completed for DeathQuest Ch. 1-2 and all materials reviewed that are
included in Chapter 1 & 2 Learning Modules (this goes for all chapters for each week)
*Discussion Posts/Quizzes Ch 1. & 2 due to be completed in ELearning by 6am today!

Chapter 1: History of the Death Penalty

Supplemental media: DPIC Timeline of History of DP PPT slide 2, Audio Podcast from
DPIC Episode 2: Clemency at end of PPT
Supplemental readings in eLearning: DPIC Overview Sheet, History of DP & Recent
Developments PDF

Chapter 2: Capital Punishment and the Supreme Court

Supplemental media: Lethal Injection Controversy BBC video on Angel Diaz at end of PPT
Supplemental readings in eLearning: Exonerated Former Death Row inmate article, Cassell
Wall Street Journal article, LA Times article on DP as affirmation of sanctity of life, Latzer &
Cauthen Appeals in Capital Cases article

June 7th Readings/Study Aids should be completed for DeathQuest Ch. 3-5
*Discussion Posts/Quizzes Ch 3-5 due in eLearning by 6am today!

Chapter 3: Federal Death Penalty

Supplemental media: Hussein execution video (CAUTION! Graphic video of execution-
it is optional whether or not you view this material—you will NOT be tested on it)
Supplemental readings in eLearning: DPIC Federal DP General Info handout, DPIC Federal
Death Row Prisoners sheet, DPIC List of Federal Executions 1927-2003 sheet

Chapter 4: Methods of Execution

Supplemental media: Video link to Texas Execution Information Center, video link to
National Geographic Texas Execution Day, and video from National Geographic on Electric
Chair and warden all at end of PPT
Supplemental readings in eLearning: AMA Physician Participation article, BJS 2009 Execution
Trends Chart, DPIC Lethal Injection article
Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 17
 Chapter 5: Deterrence
Supplemental media: Audio Podcast from DPIC Episode Four: Deterrence at end of PPT
Supplemental readings in eLearning: Kovandzic, Vieraitis, & Boots (2009) Criminology & Public
Policy journal article on deterrence with introduction to article by Donahue (additional
download—read this first!), Yale Herald news article about Connecticut DP, DNA, and Debt

June 7th Students MUST take Midterm Exam via Assessments link of eLearning
on all assigned materials in Chapters 1-5 between 6am and 10pm
TODAY!

CHAPTERS 6-HOMICIDE MODULE RELEASED @6am on JUNE

7 th

June 14th Readings/Study Aids should be completed for DeathQuest Ch. 6-8
* Discussion Posts/Quizzes Ch 6-8 due in eLearning by 6am today!

Chapter 6: Incapacitation and the Costs of Capital Punishment

Supplemental media: Audio interview on Legal Broadcast Network with Richard Dieter and
Audio Podcast from DPIC Episode 3: Costs of CP at end of PPT
Supplemental readings: DPIC 2009 Year-End Report on Deep Economic Crisis and Costs of
DP and NY Times article on LWOP
Chapter 7: Miscarriages of Justice
Supplemental media: YouTube video on Sacco and Vanzetti link in PPT slide 4,
CBS News clip on Ethel Rosenberg in PPT slide 4, Audio Podcast from DPIC Episode 4:
Innocence at end of PPT, and CNN video interview with Louisiana death row exoneree John
Thompson at end of PPT
Supplemental readings in eLearning: David Grann article on Cameron Todd Willingham,
DPIC profiled innocence cases 114 to 138, and ProDeathPenalty.com innocence article
Chapter 8: Arbitrariness and Discrimination
Supplemental media: Audio Podcast from DPIC Episode 1: Arbitrariness and Audio Podcast
from DPIC Episode 6: Racial Discrimination at end of PPT
Supplemental readings in eLearning: DPIC Arbitrariness PDF, Victor Streib Female Death
Penalty 2009 report

June 21st **CASE BRIEF- Choose either Roper v. Simmons (2005) or

Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008)—due in eLearning by 6am today!
-ASSIGNMENT MAY BE SUBMITTED AT ANY TIME IN CLASS UP
TO THIS DEADLINE BUT GRADES WILL NOT BE POSTED
UNTIL AFTER JUNE 21ST-
Reading/Study Aids should be reviewed for DeathQuest Ch. 9-10
*Discussion Posts/Quizzes Ch 9 & 10 due in eLearning by 6am today!

Chapter 9: Retribution and Religion

Supplemental media: View 70 x7 Documentary short and Orlando news story about family
furious about gentler DP at end of PPT
Supplemental readings: Carmical essay DP is Morally Defensible, Goodwin argument against
families viewing executions article, Sister Helen Prejean Interview transcript from PBS

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 18
 Chapter 10: American Death Penalty Opinion
Supplemental media: NPR video with New Jersey police chief abolishes death penalty
Supplemental readings: Time Texas Changing Its Mind, Time Tide Shifts Against DP

June 28th Reading/Study Aids should be reviewed for Homicide component in eLearning
Discussion Post for Homicide component due in eLearning by 6am today!

Thoroughly review a custom Homicide Power Point in eLearning for Reading Assignment and
then read supplemental materials (some of which are synthesized in PPT)
Supplemental readings: DPIC Murder Rates Regionally & By State, Heroin Murder Conviction
news story, Texas Dept. Public Safety 2008 Report, and Texas Penal Code

PLUS: Using all your newfound knowledge on homicide and the death penalty you have
gained in this class, all students are charged as a “jury” for their final discussion board
assignment (7 points awarded for this assignment). As a class and individually, you will review
the evidence in a real homicide case from Texas, read the transcripts regarding evidence and
testimony, render a verdict of guilty or not guilty, and if finding guilt, each individually decide
on whether the defendant should be sentenced to death or life in prison. You will review the
evidence individually online and then post your responses on the discussion board. As the
“judge” of this case, I am instructing all jury members that you are STRICLY forbidden from
doing any research on the case or offenders—you may only review the evidence presented to
you and make your judgment based on this evidence. You may, however, have spirited
debates with your fellow jury members (and the judge!) as you come to a consensus on what
the appropriate punishment might be for this crime. Detailed instructions for this last
discussion board posting may be found under your Homicide Module after June 7th.

June 28th Students MUST take Final Exam via Assessments link of
eLearning on all assigned materials in Chapters 6-10 and the
Homicide Module between 6am and 10pm TODAY!
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT CLASS! 

Last updated: 5/24/2010

Dr. Denise Boots/Homicide and Capital Punishment/ Summer 2010 Syllabus Page 19